Knee pain is a common ailment with which to seek medical help. What causes pain and how do you help yourself if it occurs? There is no clear answer, because the knee joints can suffer from different types of lesions that occur for many reasons. One of these reasons (and very common) is the initial arthrosis. Today we will tell you in detail about osteoarthritis of the knee joint: what are its causes, types, symptoms and signs, we will talk about methods of treatment and prevention.
Types and causes of diseases
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint or gonarthrosis is a predominantly non-inflammatory lesion that eventually leads to destruction of the articular cartilage, deformity of the knee and limitation of the range of motion in it. The disease has two main forms:
- primary - occurs with a congenital joint defect;
- secondary - occurs as a result of other diseases or injuries.
The primary form begins to develop in childhood or adolescence and is caused by improper formation of joint surfaces or ligament apparatus. When walking, such a joint is exposed to a load disproportionate to its capabilities, which causes degenerative changes in it.
The development of a secondary form of pathology can lead to:
- Injuries: fractures of the leg bones, bruises and sprains of the knee, accompanied by damage to the bones and cartilaginous parts of the joint and its ligament apparatus. In this case, posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops.
- Operations to remove the meniscus because they lead to a violation of the integral structure of the knee and its rapid wear.
- The disproportionately large load on the legs to which athletes are often subjected.
- Excessive obesity also causes osteoarthritis because it leads to excessive body pressure on the articular cartilage of the knee.
- Arthritis is an inflammation of the joints. Prolonged arthritis accompanies the formation of fluid in the joint cavity and over time can be complicated by osteoarthritis.
- Metabolic disorders that lead to salt deposition in the joint cavities.
- Other factors and diseases accompanied by prolonged spasm of leg muscles or blood vessels.
- Transferred operations.
The pathological process can be unilateral or bilateral. As a result of trauma, unilateral arthrosis (for example, of the right knee) is most likely to develop, and obesity - bilateral.
Typical symptoms
Osteoarthritis of the knee joint develops gradually, sometimes preceded by months and years of the initial period, when there are no obvious symptoms (such as severe pain and visible deformity), but from time to time there is a feeling of discomfort in the knee.
The most common are sick women older than 40 who are overweight, and especially, as an aggravating factor, suffer from varicose veins.
The development of gonarthrosis goes through several stages:
- The initial phase can last for months and sometimes years. The person is worried about periodic knee pain, especially when taking the first steps after getting out of bed in the morning, as well as when climbing and descending stairs.
- In the second phase, the pain becomes stronger and occurs already with any movements that are accompanied by a characteristic crunch. Accumulation of fluid is possible in the joint cavity, and on examination you may notice an initial deformation. The range of motion in a sore knee begins to decrease.
- The third stage is characterized by pain that does not go away even at rest. The discomfort is often worse before the weather changes. By then, the joints had largely lost their function: the legs would hardly bend at the knees or not bend completely. The gait changes: it becomes "bending" or on bent legs. The knee deformity is very pronounced: the legs are bent and have an O or X shape.
Symptoms of posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the knee develop more rapidly. Due to the injury, there is pain in the knee area and its swelling. Such pain constantly accompanies a person and increases after physical exertion. He is gradually joined by a feeling of tightness and stiffness in his knees. Sometimes, with this form of the disease, only a few months pass from the initial signs to irreversible changes.
Treatment of gonarthrosis
The extent of treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the severity of the lesion. But since the disease is chronic, the only thing that can be achieved is long-term remission (phases of rest when the manifestations of pathology are minimal or absent). At the same time, if in the early stages it is possible to eliminate the cause of osteoarthritis of the knee joint (for example, reduce body weight), then almost complete recovery is possible.
Goals of gonarthrosis treatment:
- remove pain
- if possible, restore the destroyed cartilage and ligament apparatus,
- increase the range of motion in the joint.
Treatment methods:
- drug therapy,
- massage and manual therapy,
- surgical intervention,
- rehabilitation therapy (exercises, physiotherapy and other methods).
Only a doctor can choose the right medications - in no case do not prescribe them yourself. Their main action aims to:
- Elimination of symptoms of osteoarthritis of the knee: relief of pain and inflammation. Appropriate medications, including hormones, are prescribed for this, which are injected into the joint cavity.
- Improving blood flow to the affected area. It is provided with agents that relieve vascular cramps and relax muscles.
- Cartilage restoration. For this, drugs that nourish and restore cartilage are prescribed.
A hand stroke and massage reduce pain, relax spasmodic muscles near the affected knee, help increase range of motion, correct bone position, and increase blood circulation.
In far-reaching, irreversible lesions, osteoarthritis of the knee is treated with a radical method - prosthetics, or implantation of a metal prosthesis that replaces the destroyed joint. So far, this is the only way that gives the opportunity for complete recovery, however, endoprostheses have a limited lifespan, after which they must be replaced. Because the cost of such surgeries is very high, this method of treatment has not yet become widespread.
Rehabilitation therapy includes physical therapy, kinesitherapy (exercises using special loads and simulators), physiotherapy and spa treatment.
Orthopedic methods are aimed at relieving a sore knee - these are sticks, orthoses, etc. Which make walking easier (they are used if necessary).
There are many folk recipes for various ointments and coatings based on herbs, medicinal bile and warming bandages made of natural wool. Basically, the action of such methods aims to relieve pain and eliminate the main symptoms.
Prevention measures
Prevention of knee osteoarthritis includes many factors:
- Balanced diet: The diet should contain a sufficient amount of protein, vitamins and minerals.
- Fight the wrong lifestyle and get rid of bad habits.
- Weight normalization.
- Appropriate physical activity.
- Prevention of injuries when playing sports, lifting weights.
The most important thing in identifying such a pathology as osteoarthritis of the knee is not the onset of the disease, because its far-reaching stages lead to disability. But if all efforts are time-focused on treatment and prevention - until time is wasted and symptoms are insignificant - there is a chance of a complete cure of the disease.